Mortar-gage.



UNITED sTA s PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 4, 1907. Serial No. 366.376-

Patented June 11,1907.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE S, ORMSBY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Xenia, in the county of Greene and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mortar-Gages; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exnot description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it apertains to make and use the same, reference eing had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference .marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention comprises a mortar gage for accurately spreading mortar on cement blocks in the construction of buildings, walls or other masonry.

The object of the invention is first-to provide means which enables the workman in the construction of a wall to quickly and uniformly spread the mortar on the parts of a block where it should be placed, and to exclude the mortar from those arts where it should not be placed. Secon ly, to provide means by which the mortar joints may be made uniform in width and thickness, and the upper surfaces of said joints always par allel with the surfaces of the blocks on which the mortar is s read.

Cement buil ing blocks are usually made with openings in or through them, and, in laying such blocks it is necessary to exclude the mortarfrom these openings. Heretofore, this has been accomplished only with the expenditure of much time and labor and with a waste of material.

receding a detailed description of the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, of which Figure 1, is a top plan view of my improved mortar gage. Fig. 2, is a similar view showing a slight modification in the construction of the gage. Fig. 3, is a cross sectional view of the mortar gage as shown in Fig. 1 on the line tt and through a cement building block upon which the gage is placed to spread the mortar.

In a detail description of the invention, similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts.

In the drawings, 1 designates a common form of cement building block with the usual openings 2 therein. In the laying of these building blocks, my improved mortar gage is utilized and the same consists of a plate .which conforms substantially to the shape of the block upon which it is laid, as shown in Fig. 3.

The. gage has a lon itudinal central portion 3 comprisin a lplate which covers the openings 2 in the 100 and prevents the mortar from entering said openings. On one or both sides of this plate portion 3 of the gage, are parallel mortar openingslof lengths substantially as shown in the drawing. These openings 4 are inclosed on their outer sides by bars 5, and from the central portions of said bars 5 handles or 'gri s 6 extend by means of which the gage may e handled in using the same. The handles or grip portions 6 are recessed on their under sides to enable the fingers to conveniently grasp the same in removing the mortar gage and replacing it in position on the blocks. It will be observed in Fig. 1, one of the marginal bars 5 is i of greater width than the other, and forms a shelf which prevents the mortar drop ing from the gage and'marring the face the wall as the latter is being constructed. It will be understood that in using the gage the marginal bar of greater width lies on the outer side of the block. The mortar openings 4 are beveled downwardly and outwardly as at 8 in order that, when the gage is lifted from the block, none of the mortar will be removed therewith. The marginal bars before referred to are joined to the gody or plate 3 of the gage by short integral ars 7. In Fig. 3, 9 indicates the mortar which has been placed in the mortar openings 4; from this view it will be seen that the gage may be lifted without disturbing the mortar which has been placed upon the block; this is'due to the beveled or tapered surfaces 8 before referred to. The upper surface of the gage is-a plane throughout; its under surface has ribs 10 on the inner sides of the mortar openings 4 and along its edges, said ribs projecting downwardly. These ribs raise the surface of the gage to such heightas will give the mortar joint or joints the desired thickness. The thickness of the mortar joint equals the perpendicular distance of the upper surface of the gage from the upper surface of the cement block on which it is laid. Extending downwardly from the rear marginal bar 5 is a flange 11 which engages the upper portion of the inner vertical side of the block; this flange is a guide to insure the correct placing of the gage on the blocks, and

IIO

' opposite sides of the gage.

- ing of a late having a longitudinal mortar said mortar opening being beveled downalso it is a means for maintaining the gage in a correct position when spreading the mortar.

Fig. 2, illustrates my improvedmortar gage With one of the longitudinal mortar o enings 4, omitted. When the building block or blocks are wider or narrower than the gage, when constructed with a single longitudinal mortar opening, the mortar may be placed-first on one side of the block and then on the other side, by reversin the position of the gage. A single widt of gage may thus be utilized for s reading mortar upon blocks of diflerent wi( ths.

I claim:

1. As a new article of manufacture, a gage for spreading mortar. on building blocks in the construction of walls, the same consistopening t erethrough to admit mortar to the b ock at desirable points, the boundary of wardly and outwardly, a marginal flan e extending downwardly from the under side of the ga e and ada ted to engage a vertical side of t e block, t e said ga e having its upper side in a uniform plane t roughout.

2. Amortar ga e for spreading mortar upon building bloc s in the construction of walls, the same consisting of a latehaving suitable longitudinal openings t erethrough to admit mortar to the block, the boundaries of said openings being beveled downwardly and outwardl a marginal flange extending downwardly rom the outer margin of one of said openings, and handles projecting from 3. A mortar gage for spreading mortar on building blocks in the construction of a wall, the same having its upper surface in a' uni.-

form plane throughout and consisting, of a 1 Witnesses:

central longitudinal plate having a longitudinal mortar opening on one side, the bo'un- (lanes of which are beveled downwardly and 1ng approximately the length of the plate,

the boundaries of said opening being beveled downwardl and outwardly and extending in the form of ribs to obtain the desired thickness of the mortar joint, a flange extending downwardly from the underside of the gage, and handles projecting from. the gage Ell 5. A age for spreadingmortar on build- 'ing bloc s, the same comprising a plate having longitudinal mortar o enings on its sides, and the upper surface 0 which is of a uniform plane throughout, the boundaries of said mortar openings being beveled down-- wardly and outwardly and forming under lyin ribs which rest upon the surface of the bloc and by which the desired thickness of mortar joint is obtained, a flange extending downwardly from the under side of the gage, and handles extending from opposite sides of the gage.

In testimonywhereof I afiix my signature, in presence of two'witnesses.

GEORGE S. ORMSBY.

C; M. THEOBALD, R.- J. MCCARTY. 

